splicing bass strings

[Farrell]

> Those of you working and tuning Bostons let me know what you think of
> the sound of the series of small base strings. F#2 to A#2 on the GP 178
> Grand and smaller grands.
> I have found notes in this series to be raspy, thuddy, etc.. Anyone been
> able to smooth this section out by voicing?   I would like your thought
> on this..

Hello Richard. I own a 1993 Boston GP 178 and it is currently our main
playing piano. I have never noticed (and I just ran over those notes with my
antennae up to be sure) any funky tonal garbage from that area. Sounds
pretty good and very consistent throughout the bass and pretty smooth across
the break. Ron, the highest pitch bass string on the GP 178 is A#2

Terry Farrell
Piano Tuning & Service
Tampa, Florida
mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Oliver Snelson" <rsnelson@dave-world.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2001 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: splicing bass strings


> Hello Ron, I just attended a class taught by Al Sanderson and his son
> David  on the subject of strings and winding problems. They had studio
> recording of piano strings with various "unwraps" and other problems. It
> was very easy to hear the big change in the sound as the strings
> inhamonicity is increased by removing the wrap.  They were making the
> point of how important it is to get the copper closer to the end
> termination's. As we all know that doesn't always happen when you send a
> string to be duplicated.
>
> Sandersons sell a set of small tape measures that hook on the bridge
> pins and help to get uniform string length measurements.
>
> Can you unwrap? Sure. Will it change the sound. Yes. I would take care
> and not unwrap past the point were the string is swaged. This will get
> you a loose wrap pronto if you do. Sanderson's have a patent on their
> swaging method. It's a triangle shape instead of the normal flat swage.
>
> Dr. Sanderson does the scaling for string replacement and then Sanderson
> Accu-Strings , David Sanderson, does the winding.
>
> Their class made me aware of string problems I had been facing, where
> all help and advice had pointed to voicing the problem out.
>
> Those of you working and tuning Bostons let me know what you think of
> the sound of the series of small base strings. F#2 to A#2 on the GP 178
> Grand and smaller grands.
> I have found notes in this series to be raspy, thuddy, etc.. Anyone been
> able to smooth this section out by voicing?   I would like your thought
> on this..
> Richard Oliver Snelson
> Oliver Piano
>
>
> Ron Nossaman wrote:
> >
> > >I agree, you should have no trouble splicing in the speaking length -
just
> > >don't go peeling copper windings off to make room!
> > >
> > >Terry Farrell
> >
> > Bless me Father, for I have peeled. What the heck (there's that word
> > again), if the bass string "duplicators" can do it arbitrarily, why
can't I
> > do it in the interest of practical expedience? Why wouldn't the extra
mass
> > of the splice in the speaking length offset the removed winding mass and
> > leave you about where you started?
> >
> > Ron N
>